Short Summary

INTERNATIONAL MORATORIUM DAY, IN PROTEST AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM, WAS OBSERVED TODAY (15 NOVEMBER) BY DEMONSTRATIONS IN CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.

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INTERNATIONAL MORATORIUM DAY, IN PROTEST AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM, WAS OBSERVED TODAY (15 NOVEMBER) BY DEMONSTRATIONS IN CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. IN LONDON, ABOUT 500 DEMONSTRATORS WEARING BLACK ARMBANDS FILED SLOWLY PAST THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY; IN ROME, SEVERAL HUNDRED UNITED STATES RESIDENTS OF THE CITY ATTENDED A RALLY IN THE PIAZZA NAVONA; AND IN PARIS 3,000 CHANTING DEMONSTRATORS WERE BATON-CHARGED BY POLICE.

IN LONDON, THE 500 DEMONSTRATORS, CARRYING PLACARDS, NORTH VIETNAMESE AND VIET CONG FLAGS, AND BANNERS BEARING THE PORTRAITS OF MARX, LENIN, STALIN, AND MAO TSE-TUNG, PARADED OUTSIDE THE U.S. EMBASSY IN GROSVEN SQUARE IN SOLEMN PROTEST. ORGANISERS PLACED A COFFIN IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY BUILDING AND DEMONSTRATORS, MANY OF THEM AMERICAN, DROPPED INTO IT CARDS BEARING THE NAMES OF U.S. SERVICEMEN WHO HAD DIED IN VIETNAM.

A SMALL GROUP CHANTED: 'NIXON, WE WANT YOU DEAD' AND SHOUTED: 'JUMP' AS AN EMBASSY OFFICIAL APPEARED AT A WINDOW.

THE MAJORITY OF THE PROTESTORS REMAINED SILENT, HOWEVER, EXCEPT WHEN CALLING THE NAMES OF THE DEAD, AND POLICE REINFORCEMENT WAITING IN BUSES BEHIND THE EMBASSY WERE NOT CALLED IN.

IN ROME, SEVERAL HUNDRED AMERICANS RESIDENT IN THE CITY MARCHED TO A RALLY IN ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST FAMOUS SQUARES, THE PIAZZA NAVONA.

PACIFIST SONGS AND SPEECHES AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR WERE HEARD BY A GROUP HEADED BY AMERICAN NOVELIST GORE VIDAL AND PAUL GETTY JUNIOR. IN THE CROWD WAS ISABELLA ROSSELLINI, INGRID BERGMAN'S DAUGHTER.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT NIXON DEMANDING AN IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL AMERICAN GROUPS ON VIETNAM WAS HANDED OUT IN LEAFLET FORM. AFTER THESE WERE SIGNED, THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY.

IN PARIS, AT LEAST 15,000 PEOPLE TOOK PART IN DEMONSTRATIONS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CITY IN DEFIANCE OF A GOVERNMENT BAN. STEEL-HELMETED RIOT POLICE REPEATEDLY CHARGED LARGE GROUPS OF DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTING THE VIETNAM WAR IN CROWDED SHOPPING STREETS.

THE POLICE BATON CHARGES WERE RESTRICTED TO THE FASHIONABLE RUE DE RIVOLI AREA, WHERE ABOUT 5,000 DEMONSTRATORS MINGLED WITH SATURDAY-AFTERNOON SHOPPING CROWDS.

BY-STANDERS AND SHOPPERS DASHED FOR SHELTER INTO NEARBY CAFES ARE SHOPS AS THE RIOT POLICE CLASHED WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS.

THE POLICED, SWINGING RUBBER TRUNCHEONS, MADE REPEATED CHANCES AGAINST SMALL BANDS OF DEMONSTRATORS WHO HAD DISPERSED INTO SIDE STREETS TO REFORM. ABOUT 500 WERE ARRESTED. THE FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTRY SAID LATER TONIGHT THAT 2,651 PEOPLE HAD BEEN DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING ALTOGETHER FROM ALL THE DEMONSTRATIONS IN PARIS, BUT ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAD BEEN RELEASED. NINETEEN OF THEM HAD BEEN DETAINED IN CUSTODY TO FACE POSSIBLE CHARGES.

(IN CONTRAST TO PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE UNITED STATS, WHERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON AND SAN FRANSISCO, VIOLENCE FLARED ALSO IN ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY. IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, RIOT POLICE FOUGHT PITCHED BATTLES WITH DEMONSTRATORS ATTACKING AMERICAN EMBASSIES IN SEVERAL CITIES. BUT ELSEWHERE THE PROTESTS WERE PEACEFUL. IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, 100 PEOPLE CARRYING ANTI-WAR PLACARDS STAGED A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IN THE GROUNDS OF THE U.S. EMBASSY. SPANISH STUDENTS WORE BLACK ARMBANDS ON THE CAMPUS OF MADRID UNIVERSITY. FOUR AMERICAN GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES PICKETED THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MANILA. IN ADDIS ABABA, 75 U.S. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS WORKING IN ETHIOPIA STAGED AN EIGHT-HOUR VIGIL OUTSIDE THE AMERICAN EMBASSY. AND 50 U.S. CITIZENS IN GHANA LAST NIGHT (14 NOVEMBER) HELD A SIX-HOUR SILENT VIGIL OUTSIDE THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ACCRA IN SUPPORT OF THE WASHINGTON DEMONSTRATIONS.)